Betrayal
by JBowl
Summary: Abby befriends the terminally ill daughter of a fellow agent.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"No, I don't want to be put on hold agai…" Tony had been on the phone all morning. "Can you believe this?" He asked no one in particular, "They put me on hold _again_. What happened to the good old days of friendly customer service with a smile?"

"I think those 'good old days' only existed in your 'good old movies'." Tim bantered.

"Be quiet over there, McMoodbuster." Tony replied.

"I happen to think that McGee is correct." Ziva interjected.

"Thank you, Ziva." Tim smiled.

"And who asked you…Ms. McMoodbuster." Tony shot back.

"What is so important that you have been on hold all morning for?" Tim asked.

"I got a message on my phone that this place needed to speak with me and…What the?...Great, the line just went dead." Tony slammed the phone down. "Forget it. Who's up for lunch? I think it's your turn to buy, McFlyboy."

Tim didn't stop typing. "I have no intention of indulging in your disgusting eating habits on this beautiful Friday, Tony." McGee said.

"You've been hanging out with Ducky too much." Tony said. "Ziva! You and me."

"I would love to have lunch with you." Ziva replied.

"Thank you, Ziva; it's nice to know who your friends are when the chips are down." Tony said with a smirk in Tim's direction.

"As long as _you_ are buying." Ziva finished.

Tony's smirk vanished. "How cold a woman can be." He told her.

It was a slow Friday, which was always convenient.

It was also "Bring your child to work" day.

Abby and Ducky had met on the elevator and decided to go to lunch together, but Ducky had to drop off some reports to Gibbs first.

While they were talking to him, a young girl walked up and waited until Ducky noticed her.

"Hello, Sarah." He said. "So good to see you again."

"Hi, Ducky…Mr. Gibbs." Sarah replied.

Abby looked up and saw a very pretty girl who looked about twelve with shoulder length, brown hair and the prettiest blue eyes she had ever seen. She also noticed how the girl's torso was bent in an odd shape, evidence of either a birth defect or a back injury.

"Hi, Sarah." Gibbs said.

"Sarah…this is Abby." Ducky introduced them as Abby shook her hand. "Abby, this is Matthew Shuman's daughter, Sarah."

"Nice to meet you." Sarah said. "I _love_ your hair."

"Thank you." Abby said. "And it's nice to meet you, too." Now that Ducky mentioned it, she _could_ see the resemblance.

"And these are Ziva, Tony, and Timothy." Ducky continued, pointing to each desk, in turn.

Sarah waved all around.

"You're cute." She told Tim, who blushed while everyone else suppressed a laugh.

"Why, thank you, Sarah." Tim replied. "You're very pretty, too."

"Thank you." She said, smiling.

"Are you enjoying your visit?" Abby asked.

"Not really." She shook her head. "I'm the only one here. But, my Daddy and I are going to McDonald's for lunch…I _love_ McDonald's."

"Sarah?" Sarah turned at the voice. "You're supposed to be getting ready."

"Sorry, Daddy." She said. "But I wanted to say hi to Ducky."

"OK." Agent Shuman said as he put his arm around her. "Now go get ready so we can go."

He stood just over six feet tall with shoulder length, black hair.

Seeing them together, Abby could _definitely_ see the resemblance.

"_He couldn't deny her if he wanted to."_ She thought. "And_ I can see where she gets her eyes."_

"Yes, sir." She answered and headed to the restroom.

"I'm sorry about that." Shuman said when she was gone.

"No apologies necessary." Ducky said as Abby nodded agreement. "How are her migraines?"

"Getting more severe." He answered. "And more frequent…about every six weeks."

"I'm so sorry." Ducky told him. "If there is anything I can do, you have my number."

"Thank you." He said and went back to his desk.

"Ducky?" Abby asked. "What's going on?"

They both saw Sarah come out of the restroom and wave to them as she walked back to her father's desk.

"That beautiful girl has less than a year to live." Ducky said.

"_What?"_ Ziva replied.

"_Noooo."_ Abby said. "Why?"

"Well," Ducky began. "It's not _my_ place to tell you her medical history. But, six years ago, she and her mother were in an automobile accident. Her mother was killed, and Sarah received numerous injuries, including the back injury which you no doubt noticed."

Abby nodded.

"She also received some brain damage, and that is what's killing her."

Abby looked over and saw Sarah standing next to her father's desk.

"Ducky?" She asked. "Can I take a rain check on our lunch?"

"Why certainly, dear." He said. "I hope I didn't spoil your appetite."

"No." Abby replied. "I just have a sudden craving for McDonald's."

She walked down to Matthew Shuman's desk.

"Hi Abby." Sarah greeted her as Matthew looked up from his computer. "I'm waiting on Daddy to finish up so we can go."

"Did I hear you say you were going to McDonald's?" Abby smiled.

Sarah nodded.

"I've wanted to go there all week." Abby continued. "Would you mind if I tagged along?"

"Can she, Daddy?" Sarah asked.

Matthew looked up from his work and saw Sarah and Abby smiling at him.

"If you want to." He said. "Just give me a second to log off."

Abby and Sarah smiled at each other.

By the time they got there, Abby and Sarah were chatting like old friends.

"So," She asked Sarah after they had gotten their food and found a booth, "What are your plans for the weekend?"

"Every Saturday, Daddy and I go somewhere…tomorrow, we're going to the zoo." Sarah answered. "Then, Daddy makes dinner and we watch a movie."

"Is Daddy a good cook?" She asked.

"Not really." Sarah said, shaking her head.

"_Sarah."_ Matthew interrupted while Abby laughed.

"But, you're _not_." Sarah insisted, and then turned to Abby. "Most of our dinners come out of a box. But he _does_ make a great meat loaf." She turned to him. "Can we have meat loaf, tomorrow, Daddy?"

"If you remind me to stop at the grocery store after the zoo." He told her.

"OK." Sarah said, smiling, then turned to Abby. "Would you like to come over for meat loaf, Abby?"

Matthew looked at Abby as she looked at him.

"I think you should ask your Daddy, first." Abby said.

"Can she, Daddy?"

"I'm sure she already has plans, sweetheart." He told her while looking at Abby.

Abby shook her head.

"Well, if you can stomach my bad cooking," He playfully leaned towards Sarah, "you're more than welcome." He said as Sarah blushed.

"I would love to be there." Abby said.

"We eat at 5:00." Sarah told her. "Don't be late."

"I'll be there at 4:30." Abby laughed.

After she had buckled herself in, he started the car.

"Daddy? Can I go to St. Mary's?" She asked, which was her school/day care.

"You don't want to stay with me?" He asked, sounding hurt.

"It's _boring_ there." She told him. "I'm the only kid there and you were on your computer all morning."

"OK." He said. "When I pick you up, what do you want to do for dinner?"

"Can we get pizza?" She asked.

"We sure can." He replied

"And can I play video games?"

"I'll give you five dollars…you can use it however you want."

"Yay." She smiled.

"Do you have time?" He asked Abby. "Or do you want me to drop you off first?

"I'm good." Abby smiled.

He smiled back as he put the car in gear.

They were heading back after dropping Sarah off.

"She is so wonderful." Abby told him.

"Her and her mother were in a car accident." He said.

"Ducky told me."

"It affected her brain. _Inside_, for the most part, she is a normal twelve year old girl, with normal thoughts and emotions. But her communication skills are those of a six year old…she says what's on her mind."

"I noticed." Abby laughed. "She told McGee he was "cute.""

He smiled.

Abby wondered how many times he's had to tell that story to people, and fought back a tear.

When they got to his desk, she turned to him.

"Thank you for lunch." She said. "I enjoyed it."

"Thank _you_ for going." He smiled. "It's not often we have company."

"I guess I need your address." She told him.

He gave her a confused look as Susan, one of his partners, looked up from her work.

"Meat loaf?" Abby laughed. "Don't tell me you forgot."

"Oh…hey," He stumbled, "I know you were just being nice to Sarah…I won't hold you to it."

"_Hey_." She grabbed his arm. "I said I would be there because I _want_ to be."

He stared at her for several seconds…and she stared right back.

"OK." He said and grabbed a piece of paper on his desk and wrote down his address.

"5:00." He said.

"4:30." She corrected, then smiled and went back to her lab.

"Matthew, you're a smart _person_." Susan told him when they were alone. "But you have to be one of the dumbest _men_ I know."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"My point, exactly." She replied and went back to her work.

An hour later, he was coming out of the restroom and noticed McGee doing some paperwork.

"Hey, Tim." He said as he walked up.

"Hi, Matthew." Tim said.

"Listen, Abby told me what Sarah said. I want to apologize."

"Not necessary." Tim smiled.

"She…has a habit of saying what's she's thinking." He continued.

"The world could use more of that." Ziva said.

"Besides…she's the first girl to flirt with him this _year_." Tony chided.

"Again. I'm sorry." Matthew smiled.

Tim nodded.

Sarah opened the door to find Abby standing there.

"Hi, Abby." She beamed. "Come on in."

"Hi, Sarah." She said as she entered. "This is a nice place you have here."

"Thank you." Sarah said. "Want a tour."

Abby was about to say yes when a voice from the kitchen interrupted.

"Sarah." Matthew said. "How are we supposed to greet guests?"

"I'm sorry." She said. "Would you like something to drink?"

"I'd love some water." Abby laughed.

"This way, please." Sarah led her to the kitchen.

"Hi there." Abby told Matthew as Sarah grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

"Hello." He smiled. "Dinner is cooking, and will be ready in about twenty minutes."

"It smells wonderful." She said.

"Daddy makes the _best_ meat loaf." Sarah told her.

"Thank you." She said when Sarah handed the bottle to her.

"Start setting the table, Sarah." He said.

"Can I help?" Abby offered.

"No thank you." Sarah replied. "You're a guest…and guests aren't expected to help prepare a meal."

Abby looked at Matthew and smiled as Sarah grabbed three plates from the cabinet.

"How was the zoo?" She asked.

"It was _awesome_." Sarah said. "The two baby tigers were roughhousing and the mommy tiger made them stop."

"Sounds like fun." Abby laughed.

"Maybe you can go with us next time." Sarah said.

Abby and Matthew looked at each other and smiled.

"Maybe." Abby agreed.

"What would you like to drink?" Sarah asked. "We have milk, sweet tea, fruit juice, and water…we also have soda, but that's bad for you."

"Sweet tea will be fine, thank you." Abby laughed. "Where can I wash up?"

"I'll show you where the bathroom is." Sarah said, grabbing her hand.

When dinner was almost over (Abby had to agree, it _was_ the best meat loaf she had ever had), Sarah asked if she was gonna stay for the movie.

"If your Daddy says I can." She said.

"Please, Daddy?" Sarah pleaded.

"We would be honored." He smiled. "But it's a cartoon."

"It's the _Incredible's_." Sarah said. "About a family of super hero's…it's my favorite movie…have you seen it?"

"I don't believe I have." Abby told her.

"You'll love it." Sarah assured her.

After the movie, Sarah got ready for bed while they talked.

"Thank you for coming." He said.

"I wouldn't have missed it." Abby laughed. "She is _adorable_…and she's lucky to have a father like you."

"I'm the one who's lucky." He blushed. "She's kept me sane…would you like something to drink?"

"You don't happen to have any beer, do you?" She asked.

"I do." He replied and went to get two bottles.

When he returned, she was looking at the pictures above the fireplace.

"Your wife was beautiful." She said. "You never remarried?"

"No." He answered, handing her a bottle. "We married right out of high school…I was never much into the dating scene…I don't even know if I could carry on a conversation with a girl, anymore." He chuckled.

"What am I?" She laughed. "Chopped liver?"

"I…I didn't mean it like that." He blushed.

"I'm teasing you." She laughed as she touched his arm. "And I think you're doing great."

They sat on the couch and talked.

Sarah came out to say goodnight.

"Did you brush your teeth?" He asked and she nodded. "Did you take all your medicine?"

"Even the yucky one." She answered and Abby had to suppress a smile.

"Give me hugs and kisses." He said.

She hugged him and kissed his cheek, then waved to Abby.

"Goodnight." She said.

"Don't I get a hug?" Abby asked.

She looked at Abby for a second, then hugged her.

"Goodnight, Sweetheart." Abby said. "Pleasant dreams."

"Thank you." Sarah replied, then went to her bedroom and shut the door.

They continued talking, every once in a while he got up to get one of them something more to drink.

Sarah came back out.

"What are you doing up?" He asked.

"Because it's morning." She replied. "And time for breakfast."

They both looked at the clock.

"Oh my God." They both said.

"I am _sooo_ sorry." Abby said. "I didn't mean to keep you up all night."

"I was a willing accomplice." He told her.

They both laughed.

"What's so funny?" Sarah asked.

"Well, while you're here, would you care to stay for breakfast?" He asked.

"I'd love to." She laughed. "But let _me_ make it…I can make a pretty mean omelet."

During breakfast, Abby asked Sarah what she had planned for the day.

"Have to finish packing for our trip." She answered.

"You going somewhere?" Abby asked.

"New York." Matthew replied. "Have to go to a clinic every few months for some tests."

"They can't do it around here?"

"They use a cool new machine." Sarah said. "And I love going to New York because we always go to Donna Bell's."

"Donna Bell's?" Abby asked. "Is that your Aunt."

"_No_ silly." Sarah laughed. "It's a _bakery_. They have the _best_ cupcakes."

"My mistake." Abby laughed. "Can you bring me back one?"

"We _always_ bring back a dozen." Sarah told her, then looked at her suspiciously. "You know, you _kinda_ look like the owner…she's a famous actress."

"What's her name?" Abby asked.

"Pauley Pe, Pe, it's a French name…I can never pronounce it." Sarah admitted. "But she is on my favorite show."

"You know," Abby laughed, "I _think_ I might know who you're talking about. I've been told that I look like her by other people and, while she _is_ a great actress, I just don't see the resemblance."

When Abby exited the elevator on Wednesday, Matthew was at his desk.

"How was New York?" She asked.

"Crowded." He replied. "You can't turn around without bumping into somebody. Glad to be back in good ole D.C."

"Where you can at _least_ move two inches before you bump into somebody?" Abby laughed.

"You got it." He laughed, then opened a drawer. "I got something for you." He said as he handed her a plastic container. "Sarah wanted to give you _two_…to thank you for coming to dinner."

"Tell her it was my pleasure." She replied as she took the cupcakes and winked. "And I hope we can do it again sometime."

"She would like that." He smiled. "So would I."

She smiled, then frowned.

"Do these tests mean that there is a cure?" She asked.

"They're working on one." He shook his head. "But…they've already told me that it won't come in time."

"Does _she_ know?" Abby asked.

"Not everything." He said. "She knows there is something wrong…but she refuses to let it slow her down."

"I noticed." Abby laughed. "But what about _you_?"

"I just take it one day at a time." He said. "I try to give her the freedom that every twelve year old wants, while trying to live every moment with her to the fullest." He looked down at his desk. "I try not to look too far ahead."

Abby leaned over and touched his shoulder.

"From everything _I've_ seen." She told him. "_You're_ the reason they celebrate Father's Day."

He just smiled.

"I tell you what." She continued. "Do you mind if I come over on Saturday and make dinner? _I'll_ do all the shopping…_Daddy_ can take the night off."

"I won't know what to do." He laughed.

"You can talk to me while I cook." She laughed. "Is there anything she can't have?"

"Really spicy foods give her a migraine." He said. "We found _that_ out the hard way."

"Veal Parmesan?" Abby asked.

"She _loves_ it." He replied. "We _both_ do…but it's one of the many things that I can't cook."

"I make it from scratch." Abby laughed. "So I'll have to come over early…three o'clock OK?"

"Sounds good."

She smiled and headed to her lab.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hi, Timothy."

McGee looked up to see Sarah standing next to him. Behind her, he saw Ziva suppressing a laugh.

"Hi Sarah…how are you?" He asked.

"Fine, thank you." She said. "We're going to see a movie tonight, but Abby had to pick me up, because Daddy's running late."

"That sounds great." He told her, distracted by Ziva, who kept pointing at her hair and trying to mouth something. "What movie are you going to see?" Ziva made an "I give up" gesture.

"The new Disney one." She told him.

He looked at her for a few seconds.

"You changed your hair." He noticed.

Ziva threw her hands up in victory and mouthed "_Yes_!"

She was wearing pig-tails.

"You like it?" She asked, shaking her head around.

"I do." He told her. "It reminds me of someone…but I can't quite think of who." He teased.

"_Abby_, silly." She laughed.

"That's _right_." He said. "How could I have missed it?"

"I made you something in art class." She said as she nervously handed him a small bag.

"Why, thank you." He said as he removed the contents. It was a paper weight made of ceramic with her handprint on top.

"It's beautiful." He told her.

"I hope you can use it." She said, smiling.

"It will come in very handy." He said as he turned it over in his hands. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She said. "I signed it for you…on the bottom."

On the bottom, he saw her name, which was written using surprisingly good penmanship.

"Sarah M. Shuman." He said. "What does the "M." stand for? Mary? Martha? Marlene?"

She kept shaking her head with each name he said.

"I'll have to tell you." She said. "Because you will _never_ guess it…"Miracle"."

Tony gave Ziva a confused look and mouthed "Miracle?"

"You're right." McGee laughed. "I would have _never_ guessed that. It's very pretty."

"Thank you." She said

"Let's go down to my lab and wait for Daddy, Sarah." Abby laughed.

"OK." She answered. "Can I play with Major Mass...Spec?"

"I'm sure we can find _something_ to test." Abby promised her.

"See you later, Timothy." She waved.

"See you later." He waved as they went to the elevator.

Ziva and Tony burst out laughing as soon as the doors were closed behind them.

"What?" McGee asked, looking around.

Even Gibbs was trying hard not to laugh.

Monday morning, Ziva held the elevator open for Matthew when she saw him approaching.

"Thanks." He told her

"No problem, Daddy." She teased when the doors were closed.

He smiled.

"I see she got a new hairstyle." Ziva continued.

"Yea." He said. "Kinda caught me off guard. A couple of weeks ago, Abby asked her if she wanted to go with her to get her hair done. "Just us girls, Daddy…sorry"."

"How long have you two been dating?" She asked.

"Three months this Saturday." He said. "Which reminds me, I have to get her something…Do you think a car would be too much?"

Ziva laughed.

"What?" He asked.

"Any more at home like you?" She asked when she realized he was serious.

When the doors opened, they were about to get out when Bob Nagen, his Team Leader, stepped in.

"What's up, Boss?" Matthew asked.

"Davis called, needs to talk." He said.

"I'll go with you." Ziva heard Matthew say as she stepped out and the doors closed.

"Let's roll." Gibbs yelled, and she ran to her desk and grabbed her bag.

Their call turned out to be a false alarm.

A body had been found with a Navy ID, but a quick check revealed that the ID had been reported missing two weeks earlier, presumably stolen by the person with whom it had been found, who was definitely _not_ in the Navy.

They headed back to the office.

"That is so disgusting, Tony." Ziva was saying. "How could you even _suggest_ such a thing?"

"The way that cop was looking at you…I thought he was gonna ask if you wanted to go to a motel right then and there." DiNozzo replied.

"McGee." Ziva turned. "Will you please tell him that he needs a pair of glasses?"

"As much as I hate agreeing with him," McGee began. "that cop _was_ all over you."

"See?" DiNozzo laughed. "Even McHermit saw it."

"Why do I even bother?" Ziva asked.

McGee looked out the window.

"Boss? That looks like one of our cars." He said, pointing at a vehicle that was the same make, model and color as the one they were in, parked in a mostly empty parking lot for an out of business shipping company.

Gibbs turned in and parked next to it.

When they got out and started looking around, they quickly came across a body that looked like it had been shot…numerous times.

"Spread out." Gibbs ordered, and they all pulled their weapons and took cover.

"N.C.I.S." Gibbs yelled. "If anybody can hear me, I suggest you identify yourself."

"Gibbs?" Came a reply. "It's Nagen."

"What's going on, Nagen?"

"We had a situation." He answered. "But I think the perp is long gone."

"Keep talking." Gibbs said as they broke cover. "We'll come to you."

They found him without incident. He had been shot several times and was sitting against a stack of pallets.

Ziva started to check the wounds, but he had already wrapped them.

"Don't worry about me." He told them. "Find Shuman. He went off that way," He pointed behind them, "I think the Joker got him."

Nagen loved his poker references.

"DiNozzo, stay with him." Gibbs ordered as the other three began their search.

"On it, Boss." DiNozzo replied.

It didn't take long for Ziva and McGee to find him, lying in a pool of blood. He had been shot several times in the abdomen and once in the chest.

"Boss?...Over here." McGee yelled as he reached into his pocket for his cell phone and Ziva got down and cradled his head.

"Talk to me Matthew." She said, praying it wasn't too late.

He opened his eyes and looked up. "Ziva?" He said weakly.

"That's right…you're gonna be OK." She hoped she _sounded_ more confident than she _felt_.

McGee called 911 and reported two Federal Agents had been shot and immediate assistance was needed as Gibbs ran up.

"Ziva, tell Sarah…I'm proud of her…and I love her." He said. "And tell Abby…Thank you…and…I love…_her_."

"No." Ziva told him, shaking her head and trying not to cry. "If you want them to know, you will have to tell them yourself."

His eyes started to glaze and he grabbed her arm.

"N…N…Nagen." He said. "Sh…sh…sh…shot…"

"We already found him." She told him. "He's alright. Now just relax…an ambulance will be here shortly."

Shuman shook his head and blood ran from his mouth.

"mmmm…" His eyes rolled up, his grip on her arm fell away, and he made gurgling noises as more blood ran from his nose and mouth.

"_Damn_…McGee, help me roll him on his side." She ordered.

"I thought you weren't supposed to move a casualty." McGee said.

"_His lung is punctured!"_ She yelled. _"If we don't roll him, he will drown in his own blood!"_

They rolled him on his side and she did her best to stop the bleeding from his wounds.

When the paramedics arrived, they quickly loaded Shuman up.

"Ziva, go with him." Gibbs ordered. "McGee, take the car, get cleaned up," He motioned to McGee's shirt, which was covered in blood, "and go get Abby…and his daughter. DiNozzo and I will process the scene; I will meet you at the hospital."

"We won't have a car, Boss." DiNozzo observed.

"We'll use Nagen's." Gibbs told him.

Ducky and Jimmy showed up, and Ducky announced the person they had found had died less than two hours before.

"I do believe this is a record." He told Gibbs. "Do you now have the ability to predict where people will die?"

"I truly wish I did." Gibbs answered, thinking of Shuman.

Just then, Director Vance pulled up.

"What the _Hell_ happened here, Gibbs." He demanded.

"I don't know yet." Gibbs told him. "It was over when we arrived. We are just now starting our investigation."

"Who is he?" Vance asked, pointing to the body.

"Nagen said he was an informant, but like I said…I don't know yet."

"I'll be at the hospital." Vance said as he headed back to his car. "Call me the minute you find anything."

"I always do." Gibbs said.

"Jethro, is there _more_ to this scene than meets the eye?" Ducky asked.

"When we arrived," DiNozzo answered. "There were two more victims."

"I don't see any other bodies." Ducky observed. "Am I to assume they won't be needing my services?"

"They've been taken to the hospital." Gibbs said as he watched Vance pull away. "Nagen and Shuman."

"Oh my God." Jimmy said.

"Are they alright?" Ducky asked.

"Nagen appeared to be." Gibbs told him.

"And…Shuman?" Ducky asked after an uncomfortable pause.

Gibbs just looked at him.

"Oh dear." Ducky said.

"Ziva?" The Doctor asked.

Since she had escorted both Nagen and Shuman in, she had named herself as point of contact.

They had been at the hospital for over two hours. Everyone was there, and they were joined by Father Bailey, the Priest at Matthew's church, and a nun, Sister Edna.

Ducky was _especially_ worried…he had seen the amount of blood Shuman had lost.

"I'm Ziva." She answered as they all stood.

"You're here with Agent Nagen?"

"That's right."

"He will be OK." The Doctor said. "Both of his wounds are minor flesh wounds. I see no reason why he should stay, so I will release him as soon as we are finished."

"Thank you, Doctor." Vance replied.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs said as he handed the keys over. "If he can drive, take him to the office to get his car and find out what happened…Follow him home and tell him to come in tomorrow to make a statement."

"Will do." DiNozzo said

Although they received periodic updates amounting to "He's still in surgery", they didn't see another Doctor until five hours later.

"Agent…David?" She pronounced it like a man's first name.

When everyone stood, the Doctor came over.

"I'm David." Ziva replied.

"I'm Doctor Megan Thompson." The Doctor said.

"How is he?" Abby asked.

"I wish I had better news." Dr. Thompson slumped. "We have him _currently_ stabilized, and in an induced coma, but he is still critical, and the odds of him making it through the night are slim. If he has any family that would want to say goodbye, they should get here as fast as possible."

"All he has is his daughter." Abby said as she put her arms around Sarah.

Dr. Thompson grimaced.

"I will have a nurse take you in." She told Sarah.

"I want Abby to go in with me." Sarah said, grabbing Abby's hand.

"Hospital policy is only family and clergy are permitted in I.C.U." She looked at Abby. "How are you…?"

"We're dating." Abby replied, fighting back tears.

"I see." Dr. Thompson said. "Well…what good are policies without exceptions? The nurse will take you in. You'll have to wash and put on complete gear: gown, mask, hat, and gloves."

"Thank you." Abby said.

"Also," Dr. Thompson continued, "I need you to mentally prepare yourself for his appearance. He has a lot of tubes and wires attached to him…and, although we have cleaned him up, you will still see some blood."

"Thank you." Abby repeated as the nurse led them away.

"Yes…thank you." Vance echoed. "How bad is it?" He asked, after Abby and Sarah were gone.

She shook her head.

"He flat-lined on us four times. Abdominal wounds are messy under the _best_ of circumstances and, although a rib deflected the shot to his chest, his left lung was badly damaged." She said. "Also, he lost a _lot_ of blood through massive internal and external bleeding…who administered first response?"

They all looked at Ziva.

"You're to be commended, especially for turning him on his side." Dr. Thompson told her. "Had you not acted as you did, he would not have made it here alive."

Ziva only half-smiled.

"Father," She continued, noticing the stole, "Are you his clergy?"

"Father Michael Bailey." He said, shaking her hand.

"If you want to administer Last Rites, just let the desk know…but please, no more than five people, including yourself."

"Thank you." Father Bailey replied.

"Again…I'm _truly_ sorry I can't give you any better news. He will be in my prayers." Dr. Thompson told them as she left to deal with another crisis.

"I'm afraid it's _even worse_ than she is saying." Ducky observed after she left.

"How do you mean?" Ziva asked.

"Although I don't know the practice of _this_ particular hospital, there are many in the area that will not attempt to revive after a fifth flat-line." He said.

As they entered the room, and despite Dr. Thompson's warning, Abby was shocked…she even had trouble recognizing the man laying there as the same one she had been dating for three months. Almost every inch of his exposed skin had a medical device attached. His right arm and neck had numerous I.V.'s and sensors, and there was a tube going down his throat (she found out later that his airway had collapsed).

She found it difficult to look at his face, because when she did, she also had to look at the black substance matting his hair down.

She didn't want to accept the fact that it was his dried blood.

But looking anywhere else wasn't any easier…his torso seemed to be covered with stitches and bruises (which, having been deprived of blood while they were forming, had developed into an odd yellowish color).

Curiously, his left arm (the side they were on) was completely untouched (again, she found out later that the veins in that arm had collapsed, making it impossible to insert an I.V.).

But what scared her most was the fact that he showed no sign of life; she couldn't even see him breathing. Had it not been for the steady beep of the life support system, she would have thought he was already dead.

"Daddy?" Sarah said as she looked down at the man who was her entire life. "They told me that you might die, and I should come and tell you goodbye…but I don't want to."

Abby choked back tears.

"There has to be a mistake, Daddy. When you dropped me off this morning, you said we were going to the zoo this weekend." She started to cry. "When you wake up, can we still go?"

Abby couldn't hold her tears any longer, and even the nurse started to cry.

"If we can't, I will understand." Sarah looked at the floor. "And if you decide you want to go where Mommy is, I will understand that, too…you told me it was a better place than here. I love you, Daddy." She kissed his cheek. "I will let Abby talk to you, now."

"Wow." Abby began. "She is so wonderful."

Looking at him, she remembered Dr. Thompson saying that he would probably be gone by morning. Her heart didn't want to accept that, but the scientist in her realized it was probably true. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she didn't feel comfortable saying them in front of Sarah. Later, she decided, she would go into the hospital's chapel and tell him goodbye, in private.

"You've done a good job raising her." She continued, grabbing his hand. "But you're not done yet. Like her, I don't want to say goodbye; I want us to make more memories…Please don't leave us."

She kissed his cheek and they turned to leave.

As they entered the waiting room, Sarah broke down.

"It's my fault." She cried as she threw her arms around Abby, who hugged her back. "If he didn't have to take care of me, he wouldn't have this job, and he would still be OK."

"Sweetheart, it's not your fault." Abby told her, as Father Bailey walked over.

"Yes it _is_." Sarah insisted. "He would be better off if I had died with Mommy."

"Sarah." Father Bailey said as he gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't _ever_ think that. Your Daddy loves you more than anything else in the world. You _are_ the reason he was able to go on living after your Mommy died…you are _not_ the reason he is in _there_ right now." He motioned towards the door they had just come out of. "As for his job, your Daddy does what he does because he loves doing it…and he was doing it _long_ before you were born."

"_Really?"_ Sarah asked.

"Really." He said. "And the _only_ person to blame for this is the person who shot him."

She threw her arms around Abby again.

"Hey, Sarah." McGee approached. "Are you hungry?"

She looked at him and nodded.

"Why don't the two of us go to the cafeteria and get something to eat?" He offered.

"Can't Abby come?" Sarah asked.

"She can join us later, but for now, it will just be the two of us."

"Like a date?" She asked and everyone smiled.

"If you want to think of it like that," McGee smiled, "then, yea…like a date."

She grabbed his offered hand.

"Nobody has ever asked me out before." She told him.

"That is difficult to believe. There must be something wrong with all the boys you know." McGee told her. "Do you want to stop and freshen up?"

"Please." Sarah said, wiping the tears from her eyes as she tried to smile.

When they passed Gibbs, she grabbed his arm.

"Daddy says you're a good Agent." She said. "Will you please find the man who shot him?"

Gibbs bent down to look her in the eye.

"I _promise_ you I will do my best." He told her, thinking that it was a good thing he didn't have his hands on the shooter at that moment.

"Thank you." She said and kissed his cheek.

After they were gone, it was Abby's turn.

Gibbs hugged her as she cried.

"_Why_, Gibbs?" She asked. "When I finally find someone I can see having a future with, why does _this_ happen?"

All Gibbs could do was hold her.

"Abby," Father Bailey began, "I know it can be…difficult…taking care of Sarah. We have had several families offer to take her in for the time being."

"No." Abby shook her head. "I think we both need each other right now."

"Thank you…you are a true blessing to _both_ of them." Father Bailey smiled. "But if you ever need a break, or even just someone to talk to, call me, day or night."

"I will." She agreed.

"Now." He continued. "I know this will be hard for you to hear, but I am about to perform Last Rites, and it is preferred that someone close be present and even say a few words…If you don't feel you are up to it, I perfectly understand."

"I can do it." She said.

"Do you want someone with you?...For support?" He asked.

She looked at Gibbs, who nodded.

"I will let the desk know."

After they had washed and dressed and gathered around Matthew (Sister Edna was also present, assisting Father Bailey), he began.

"Father, we are here with mixed emotions. While we are always grateful to You for the chance to say goodbye to our loved ones, we prefer it be for those who have lived a long life, and are ready to go Home and be with You."

Abby felt a tear run down her cheek.

"While we know that Matthew _is_ ready to be with You, it is _we_ who, although admittedly selfish, are not yet ready to let him go. We pray that You, in Your infinite mercy, will leave him with us for awhile longer; but, at the same time, our loved one's very name serves as a reminder for us to humbly acknowledge the words of our Beloved Savior in Matthew 26:39, "Not as _I_ will, but as _You_ will"."

With that, he began the service.

At the end, he turned to Abby.

"Daughter, would you like to say a few words?"

Abby approached Matthew and looked down at him, realizing she was being given a second chance to tell him everything that she had wanted to say earlier.

"I love you, Matthew Shuman." She began. "And I'm so sorry I've waited until now to say it. I admit that, in the beginning, I was drawn to you simply because I wanted to see what kind of man could possibly juggle being an N.C.I.S. Agent with being a single father of a twelve year old girl who was terminally ill."

She had to wipe the tears from her eyes before she continued.

"It didn't take long for me to see how much you love her, and how much compassion you have in your heart, and I wanted to be part of that. I began looking forward to our time together, and counting the minutes until I would see you again when we weren't."

She lifted his arm and rubbed his hand on the side of her face.

"I want you back, Matthew. If you are standing outside Heaven right now, trying to decide if you should enter, please come back to us. But, if you decide that it's too beautiful to pass up, I will understand, but I will miss you."

Her voice cracked, and she had to pause a moment.

"I will _always_ remember the short time we had together, and I will love you, and hold you in my heart for the rest of my life. And please, don't worry about Sarah. I promise I will love her and take care of her exactly as you would…As much as I don't want to say it…goodbye, my darling."

She kissed his hand and placed it down gently, then backed up to Gibbs, who put his arm around her.

An hour later, Sarah, worn out by the events of the day, lay asleep with her head in Abby's lap.

Gibbs called everyone into the hallway.

"What did Nagen say?" He asked DiNozzo.

DiNozzo summarized the events.

"He got a call from an informant, wanting to meet, and he intended to go alone, but he met Shuman in the elevator, who insisted on going.

When they got to the docks, the informant had already been shot, and they heard some noise, so they investigated it.

Nagen was caught by surprise and out in the open. Shuman pulled him to cover and tried to circle around behind where the shots had come from.

That was when Nagen heard the gun battle he told us about."

"Wasn't much of a battle." Ziva observed.

"He never saw the shooter's face, but he only saw one person running away." DiNozzo continued. "Less than five minutes later, we showed up."

Gibbs just looked at DiNozzo.

"I need all of you to go home and get some sleep." He finally said.

"Boss, I…" McGee tried to interrupt.

"The best way to show our support is to find the shooter, McGee." Gibbs said. "Father Bailey is having a group of nun's rotate watch here, 24/7, until…until it's no longer needed. Abby won't be alone. _We_ have a job to do. Everybody understand?"

They all nodded and started in to say goodnight to Abby.

"Tim?" Ziva said.

McGee turned to her.

"Abby has a lot on her mind right now," She continued, "so I would like to thank you _for_ her."

McGee gave her a puzzled look.

"For taking Sarah to get something to eat." She said. "As much as she loves Sarah, Abby needed the time to face her _own_ sorrow."

McGee just smiled and went in to say goodnight.

"Ziva?" Gibbs asked when they were alone. "Are you OK?"

It was her turn to give a puzzled look.

"Don't look at me like that." He said. "You know what I mean."

"I met him on the elevator coming in this morning." She said. "He told me that he had to get Abby a present for their three month anniversary."

Gibbs hugged her.

"His last thoughts were of Sarah, Abby, and Nagen…He told me to tell Sarah and Abby that he loved them, then told me that Nagen had also been shot."

"When are you going to tell them?"

"I told him that he would have to tell them himself…but...if he…can't…_then_ I will."

"Go home and get some sleep." Gibbs told her.

Gibbs stayed for a few more hours, then followed his own order.

Abby spent the night looking at Sarah, who, because of her injuries, had moved to another seat so she could stretch out (the hospital had provided her with a pillow and blanket).

Watching her sleep, she again pondered on the resemblance between father and daughter, and smiled, remembering what she had thought the first time she had seen them together.

"He couldn't deny her if he wanted to."

She realized that had only been _less_ than ninety days ago, and felt her eyes water.

She wasn't blind to the irony that, if Ducky were correct, this beautiful girl who was sleeping so peacefully had less than nine months to live. She had asked Matthew if he had talked with Sarah about it, and he had said no.

"I have talked to numerous Doctors and counselors." He had said. "They are divided as to whether or not she should know. In the end, I decided to let her be as happy as possible during the time she has left, and not burden her with something that can't be controlled."

She wasn't quite sure if she agreed with that but, if push came to shove, she would take care of her _exactly_ as he had been doing…just as she had promised him.

Thinking of that caused the tears to spill over.

"Can I get you anything from the cafeteria?" Sister Julie, who had relieved Sister Edna, asked.

Not trusting her voice, she looked up and shook her head as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

The nun sat down next to her.

"I won't sit here and try to tell you that everything will be OK." She said. "What I _will_ tell you is that, right now, there is a prayer vigil going on at our church. In addition to all of us nuns, Father Bailey just informed me that over one hundred people are there…Matthew and Sarah are _very_ much loved. Do not think for a minute that you are alone in your grief."

"Thank you." Abby smiled.

Sister Julie smiled back and went to get something to drink (the nuns had taken a vow of fasting until this situation was over…one way or another), leaving Abby to her thoughts.

Because their relationship had _begun_ around Sarah, Abby had often found herself wondering where it would go when Sarah was…gone. While she had admitted to herself that it wouldn't be the same, she had fervently hoped that they could keep it going (she had truly meant what she had told him earlier). While she had never discussed _this_ with Matthew, she would catch him looking at her sometimes, especially at night, when he thought she was sleeping, and believed…_prayed_…that he was thinking the same thing.

It suddenly struck her like a bolt of lightning that she might actually lose him _before_ she lost her, and she put her head in her hands and wept.

The next morning, Gibbs stopped by on his way to work.

"How is he?" He asked.

"Still hanging on." Abby told him. Looking at her bloodshot eyes, Gibbs was certain she had been up all night, crying.

"How are you and Sarah?"

"Still hanging on." She repeated. "Sister Kelly took Sarah to get some breakfast."

"Have _you_ eaten?" He asked.

She shook her head. "They are going to bring me something."

He nodded and hugged her.

"Miss Abigail Sciuto?" They both turned at the voice.

"That's me." Abby said.

"I realize that this is a difficult time." The man began, holding out his hand. "My name is Michael Graham…I am Mr. Shuman's attorney…Do you have a few minutes?"

Caught completely off guard, Abby could only shake his hand and motion for him to have a seat.

"I don't know how much you know about what happened to his wife, but Mr. Shuman is almost paranoid about ensuring that, if something were to happen to _him_, Sarah would be cared for." He explained after they had sat down. "He updates his will quarterly, the most recent being last week."

"OK." Was all Abby could answer.

"I don't know if he talked with you about it, but he expressed his wishes that _you_ be named as Sarah's Guardian if anything were to happen to him."

Abby nodded. "We discussed it and I agreed to it." She said. "But I didn't know he had changed his will."

"Here's the tricky part." Michael continued. "The _will_ naming you was never signed by him…he was actually scheduled to come in tomorrow and do it…but, the _Power of Attorney_ granting you guardianship in the event of his incapacitation _was_ signed."

"What does all that mean?" Gibbs asked.

"For now, it means that Miss Sciuto is the Legal Guardian of Sarah Shuman…as long as Mr. Shuman is alive." He answered. "If and when that is no longer the case, it will still remain in effect until his will is probated…but before _that_ happens, I will make an argument before a judge that, although the new will was never signed, it _does_ represent his wishes. I won't go into all the details, but, given that the Power of Attorney is dated last week and I can prove that he had an appointment to sign the will, I believe the judge will see it that way, and grant Miss Sciuto full custody."

He pulled an envelope from his briefcase and handed it to Abby.

"This envelope contains several copies of the Power of Attorney and a key to a safe deposit box which has in it, among other things, a debit card attached to an account that has a monthly allowance of $25,000…you are authorized to use it for anything that involves Sarah, and keep in mind that includes anything that _you_ need to do to ensure that you are capable of ensuring _Sarah's_ welfare, such as gas for your car." He told her. "The pin number to the card is also in the box."

Her eyes had gone wide when he mentioned the amount.

"He received a settlement over the accident that killed his wife and injured Sarah." Michael explained after noticing her reaction.

"He mentioned it." Abby said. "But never said how much it was."

"For now," Michael said, "let's just say that it was a substantial amount. Also, all of his bills are either on auto-pay or being handled by his accountant through another account, so you needn't worry about any of that. Do you have any questions of me?"

Abby shook her head.

"If you need _anything_, the Power of Attorney also authorizes _me_ to act in yours and Sarah's behalf…my business card is also in the envelope." He told her.

"Thank you." Abby said.

He nodded. "It is unfortunate that we have to meet like this." He said. "Besides being a client, Matthew is also a good friend."

Abby smiled as he got up to leave.

"Please tell Sarah that Connie, my daughter, says hi."

"I will…thank you." Abby said as he left.

Ducky had the informant on the table.

"My friend," He began has he put his gloves on, "as much as I lament your current situation, I truly hope that _you_ will be the only person in this tragic incident unfortunate enough to require my services."

"Amen to _that_." Jimmy said.

"Mr. Palmer…do you find it ironic that this gentleman was shot three times and is lying here, while Agent Nagen was shot twice and was treated and released…and Agent Shuman was shot _six_ times…that's twice as many as our friend here, yet is still clinging to life?"

"I guess it's either your time to go or it isn't." Jimmy replied.

"One _could_ say that." Ducky agreed. "However, even that isn't as black and white as one would think…For _this_ gentleman, it _was_ time to go. For Agent Nagen, it _wasn't_. For Agent Shuman…"

"The jury is still deliberating." Palmer concluded.

"We can only pray that they reach a benevolent verdict." Ducky observed.

Looking down at the "patient", he ran his fingers over the bullet wounds.

"Mr. Palmer…would you agree that the cause of death is readily apparent?" He asked.

"I would, indeed, Doctor."

"Well then, what say we forego our usual methodology, and get the slugs to Ab…I mean…the lab, for comparison to the slugs removed from Agents Nagen and Shuman…then we can proceed normally."

Jimmy replied by holding up a pair of forceps and clicking them together.

Wednesday morning, Abby and Sarah were waiting at the bank when it opened. It was a hassle to get into the safe deposit box, simply due to her having to prove that Matthew was currently incapacitated (which was the only way the power of attorney _letting_ her into the box was valid), but, once that was taken care of, it only took a few minutes to retrieve the contents.

In addition to the debit card (which was already activated), there was a list of all the medicines Sarah was taking (although Abby already knew what she had to take and when), plus a sealed envelope simply marked "Abby". All of these she put in her purse, thanked the bank employee, and headed to the hospital.

Later that day, while Sarah was napping, Abby remembered the envelope with her name on it. She removed it from her purse and was about to open it when she hesitated.

"OK." She thought. "This was in a safe deposit box that I would only have access to if something happened to him and I became Sarah's Guardian…do I even _want_ to read it?"

She looked over at the doors that she had gone through to see him. Realizing that the man she loved was currently fighting for his life less than one hundred feet from her, and the only thing preventing her from seeing him were two sets of doors made her eyes water again.

Although they weren't the last words he _spoke_ to her, the words written in this envelope could very well be the last words she _hears_ from him…at least, that was probably what he had intended. Was she prepared to read them now, when there was at least a chance (which, although slim as it was, was still better than it had been on Monday night) that she would be able to talk to him again?

She made up her mind and put the envelope back in her purse. If they were supposed to be the last words that he wanted her to hear from him, then she wouldn't read them until that was actually the case.

She prayed that she could give him back the unopened envelope.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Abby showed up for work on Thursday.

"What are you doing here?" Gibbs asked.

"It's either keep busy here, or go crazy in the hospital waiting room…jumping every time somebody walks in, thinking every voice is there to tell me he's gone." Abby told him.

"How is Sarah?" He asked. He had been so busy on this case, he hadn't been able to get back to the hospital since Tuesday morning.

"I think she's handling it better than I am." She told him. "She wanted to go to St. Mary's today."

"Any more episodes?" He asked, thinking of what Sarah had said when she and Abby had come out of I.C.U.

"Not since the one you saw." She said, shaking her head. "But Father Bailey had a grief counselor come in on Tuesday and talk to her…and the nuns at St. Mary's have promised to keep a close eye on her."

"Did _you_ talk with the counselor?"

She looked at the floor and nodded.

"Alright." Gibbs said. "You can stay, but don't strain yourself." He kissed her cheek. "How will you know if there is a change?"

"The nun pulling shift." She told him. "Father Bailey gave them a cell phone to use, so whoever is there will be calling me from that number."

Ducky was examining Shuman's x-rays when Gibbs arrived.

"What you got Ducky?" He asked.

"A riddle." Ducky replied, and pointed at the x-ray as he spoke. "There were two guns used. The circles represent one gun, the squares another."

Gibbs looked and saw four circles in the abdomen, and one square in the abdomen and one in the chest.

"Based on depth of impact," Ducky continued, "I believe he was shot five times in the abdomen from a distance of about twenty feet."

"Matches the evidence at the scene." Gibbs confirmed.

"Then, the shooter walked up to him, and shot him point blank in the chest…If I may say so, I find it truly remarkable that he even survived until _you_ showed up, let alone long enough to get to the hospital." Ducky observed.

"What's the riddle?" Gibbs asked.

"_Direction_ of impact." Ducky answered. "Based only on this x-ray, I believe he was shot once from the side, then four times from the front."

"And the chest wound?"

"He was undoubtedly lying on the ground, with the shooter standing over him for that." Ducky said. "But you have two possible scenarios here…in _one_, the shooter uses one gun to shoot him from the side, then switches to another gun when Matthew turns to fire back, then back to the _first_ gun to shoot him in the chest, which wouldn't make any sense. The second scenario is,"

"Two shooters." Gibbs interrupted. "But Nagen was certain there was only one."

"Hence, my riddle." Ducky replied. "Also, Robert was shot and the informant was…executed…using one gun, the same gun used to shoot Matthew four times in the abdomen. The only time the other gun was used was to shoot Matthew in the side, then in the chest.

Given the circumstances, Gibbs was using another forensics lab to process the evidence.

Abby was furious.

"I can _handle_ it, Gibbs." She yelled.

"I know you can." Gibbs softly replied.

"Then what's the problem?" She demanded.

"I don't want some slick lawyer getting the evidence thrown out because the forensics expert is dating one of the victims." He told her.

Reluctantly, she saw his logic, but she insisted on being given copies of the work, so she could work on the case…separate of the "official" investigation.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He kissed her forehead.

Gibbs was frustrated…to say the least.

He hadn't liked Nagen's story from the beginning, and he liked it even less after talking with Ducky.

Given the evidence, it was entirely possible that there were _two_ shooters, and Nagen never saw (or heard) the second one.

However, even assuming there was _one_ shooter…where the _Hell_ was he?

Based on Nagen's description (which, since he had never seen the perp's face, was extremely limited), they were looking for a male of small build, between 5'2'' and 5'4'' (an estimate they achieved by figuring Nagen's line of sight against the background that he had seen the perp run by) with shoulder length, black hair.

They had put this description (without being gender specific, since Ziva observed that it also could easily fit a female) out to the local LEO's and gang units with no hits.

Staring at the photos of the scene (the ones of where Shuman was found, which Abby, regardless of what he had said, would _never_ see) he made up his mind.

"Listen up." He said, getting everyone's attention. "From now on, while we will work together, I want to look at this from two separate angles. Ziva and I will continue to run with the theory that there is only _one_ shooter, DiNozzo and McGee will assume there are _two_." He looked around. "Any questions?"

Everyone shook their head.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Remembering what Sarah had asked Matthew the day he had been shot, Abby offered to take her to the zoo on Saturday, but she had refused.

"It just wouldn't be the same without Daddy." She had said. "But, can we go get our hair done?"

Although her beautician had a rule to never take customers without an appointment, when Abby explained the situation, the woman who was scheduled for that time gave up her seat for Sarah.

They got back to the hospital to find Ducky and McGee there…and Ducky had some good news.

"They have upgraded his condition to "serious"." He told them.

"What does that mean?" Sarah, who had sat down next to McGee, asked.

"It means that he is getting better." Ducky told her.

She smiled and put her head against McGee's shoulder.

"Does that mean they will wake him up?" She asked.

Ducky shook his head.

"For now, it means that they aren't as worried about him as they were." He said. "But, if he continues to improve at the rate he has been, I would expect that, by this time next week, he will be awake."

McGee looked down at Sarah to see her reaction to this, and realized she was falling asleep.

When Abby noticed, she got up to move her, but he waved her off.

Thirty minutes later, Sarah jerked awake.

"_Mommy?"_ She yelled, startling everyone present.

"It's OK, Sarah." Abby said as she hugged her. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"I think I dreamed about Mommy." Sarah cried. "But I can't remember."

"_Sometimes, not being able to remember dreams can be a _good_ thing."_ Abby thought as she felt Sarah trembling and tried to calm her.

After a few minutes, she had stopped trembling, and Abby mistakenly thought she had gone back to sleep.

"Abby?" Sarah asked. "Can I tell you something that I haven't even told Daddy?"

"You can tell me _anything_, Sweetheart." Abby said.

Sarah sat up and looked at her.

"I can't remember Mommy." She said. "Does that make me bad?"

For a few seconds, Abby just looked at her, thinking she was referring to the dream she just had.

With a start, she realized that wasn't the case at all. She stared at McGee, who _looked_ as shocked as she _felt_.

"Sarah." She began. She had _no_ idea how to handle this. "What happened to your Mommy was a long time ago. You were very young, and the mind protects itself by blocking painful memories."

"But Mommy shouldn't _be_ a painful memory." Sarah replied.

"But what _happened_ to her _is_." Abby explained. "Do you remember _anything_ at _all_?"

"Only pieces. When Daddy tells me stories, sometimes, I _think_ I remember them happening, but it's not very clear." She shook her head, and Abby could see moisture forming in her eyes. "The only reason I know what she looked like is the picture over the fireplace…_Does that make me bad?_"

"No, Sweetheart, it doesn't." Ducky told her. "It makes you _human_."

She laid her head in Abby's lap.

"A boy at St. Mary's asked me if you were my new Mommy." She said. "He said that we sometimes get new Mommies to replace the old ones who leave us."

She sat back up.

"Are you?" She asked. "Are you replacing my Mommy?"

Abby couldn't stop the tears if she tried.

She threw her arms around Sarah and held her tight, partly due to the pain she had heard in Sarah's question, partly due to the fact that she wanted to hide her tears.

"Sarah." She began when she could finally speak. "Although I love you with all my heart and will _always_ be here for you, I would _never_ want to _replace_ your Mommy…because she loved you, and your Daddy, at _least_ as much as I do, and I wouldn't want to diminish _her_ love by trying to replace it with _mine_."

"So, you love Daddy, too? Like Mommy did?" She asked.

Abby cried even harder.

"Yes, Sweetheart, I _do_." She said. "And if you want to _think_ of me as your Mommy, that is OK with me, but, even if you can't remember _her_, always remember that you _had_ a Mommy who loved you more than anything."

"I will." Sarah promised. "Will Daddy be angry that I can't remember her?"

"I'm _certain_ he won't be." Abby said, and realized it was the truth.

Sarah looked up at her and smiled.

"I love you, too. Abby." She told her, kissed her cheek, and laid back down.

"I mean…Mommy." She said, and Abby started crying all over again.

Even Ducky and McGee had to wipe the tears from their eyes.

The nurse on duty did, too.

A few minutes later, Abby realized Sarah had gone back to sleep.

They stayed at Abby's house that night.

At 2 am, Ducky's phone rang. The caller ID said "Abby".

Abby was crying and asked Ducky to come over.

Sarah had developed a migraine, the third one since Abby had met her and, while she had watched Matthew take care of her during these times, this one was particularly bad.

She was vomiting blood.

"Hang up and call 911." Ducky told her. "I will call her Doctor and meet you at the emergency room."

Ducky hung up and called Sarah's Doctor (a good friend whom he had recommended to Matthew)…then Gibbs, who had ordered that he was to be informed of _anything_ involving Matthew or Sarah.

After hanging up with Gibbs, he looked at his phone for a few seconds and called McGee.

Ducky and Abby were in the waiting room when Gibbs and McGee arrived.

A few minutes later, the emergency room Doctor came out.

"Miss Sc…" The Doctor hesitated on the name.

"Abby." She said.

"I'm Doctor Thomas Jeffers. Sarah's Doctor called me and told me about her condition." He paused. "Is Sarah related to the _Matthew_ Shuman in I.C.U.?"

Abby nodded. "She's his daughter."

"I see." Dr. Jeffers nodded. "Do you know how long it has been since her last migraine?"

"About…three weeks." Abby said.

"OK." He said. "We have her sedated and will keep her here at least until tomorrow…that is, Monday morning…but what I believe is happening here is her stress over her father brought this migraine on a little sooner than expected."

"What about her vomiting blood?" Abby asked.

"I am running some tests but, again, I believe it is most likely nerves." He answered. "Given the situation, I won't tell you not to worry, but _Sarah_ will be alright."

"When can I see her?" She asked.

"We are currently moving her to a room." Dr. Jeffers said. "She will be asleep, but you are more than welcome to stay with her once we have her settled."

"Thank you, Doctor." Abby said.

"But, please." He continued, looking at the rest of them. "Not everyone at once…I understand one of you is Dr. Mallard."

Ducky identified himself.

"Her Doctor asked me to give you a copy of my report for her records…I will need Abby to sign a release form, but if you will give me about thirty minutes after I get all of the test results back, I will leave it at the Nurse's station for you."

"Thank you." Ducky said.

Doctor Jeffers smiled and went back to the desk.

"I would have to concur with his assessment." Ducky said, placing his hand on Abby's knee. "Especially about her being alright."

"But she hasn't _seemed_ to be that upset the past few days." Abby argued.

"Migraines are funny." Ducky pointed out. "They can appear either instantly or many days after the event that induced them occurred. And, in any case, we all saw firsthand how well she can hide her feelings, at least until she _wants_ to reveal them."

Abby nodded, but the news didn't comfort her.

This had been one _Hell_ of a week.

McGee stayed at the hospital and sat watching Sarah as she slept.

"It's funny how she grows on you." He said.

Abby smiled. "You were pretty embarrassed when you first met her and she said you were "cute"."

"I don't know how Matthew does it; being an N.C.I.S. Agent by day and a single father by night." Tim observed.

Abby, who had told Matthew that very same thing, while she was telling him goodbye, agreed.

"Keep in mind, the N.C.I.S. Agent _is_ just by day…but the single father is 24/7." She said. "He doesn't have much time for anything else…not that he has ever complained."

"Why does he do it?" Tim asked. "The N.C.I.S. part, I mean. There _are_ other, less hazardous jobs he could get that would allow him more time with her."

"I asked him that right after we started dating." Abby said. "He told me that he never even considered changing jobs after his wife died."

"He might consider it now, though." Tim observed.

"I just pray that he will be able to." Abby said.

Tim only nodded and continued watching Sarah.

He was just about to dose off when he heard her speak.

"Hi, Timothy." She said, weakly. "What are you doing here?"

"You're in the hospital, Sweetheart." He told her as he moved her hair out of her eyes. "You got sick last night."

She looked around, saw Abby smiling at her, and smiled back.

"How do you feel?" Abby asked.

"My head hurts." She replied. "How's Daddy?"

Abby smiled. "He's doing better. Now just relax."

Sarah smiled, closed her eyes, and went back to sleep.

The next few days seemed to go by in slow motion, at least for Abby.

Sarah was released Monday…but Abby also kept her home on Tuesday to let her rest. She slept most of the day.

They went to the hospital in the evenings, but didn't stay all night…Ducky had told Abby that it would be best if Sarah were to sleep in her own bed. However, this also put Abby in a dilemma…she wasn't sure _she_ would be able to sleep in Matthew's bed. In the end, Sarah gave her a big teddy bear to sleep with, but she still dreamed of Matthew.

Tim stopped by the hospital after work on Monday to bring them McDonald's carryout.

On Tuesday morning, Abby was told that, while they don't like to use the term "serious but stable", it was appropriate in this case because, though Matthew hadn't improved enough to be labeled "fair", he was better than what "serious" implied.

They were gathered around Gibbs desk on Wednesday. Everyone else was getting ready to go to lunch, but Abby was preparing to call it a day and go pick Sarah up, when her cell phone rang.

She looked at the caller ID and grimaced.

"_Oh no."_ She said before turning away to answer it.

Everyone was staring at her while she talked.

"I'll be right there." She said.

"I have to go." She told them as she put her phone back in her purse.

"_Abby?"_ Everyone said at once.

"Oh…sorry." She said. "That was Sister Emma, Doctor Thompson wants to bring Matthew out of his coma, but she is waiting until Sarah and I get there. Father Bailey has already picked Sarah up…and I have to go."

Vance grabbed her shoulder. "We _all_ have to go." He said.

"I heard you had a little scare a few days ago." Dr. Thompson said to Sarah. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you." Sarah nodded.

"Well, I hope we can make you feel even _better_." She said. "By talking to Daddy…would you like that?"

"_And how_." Sarah smiled.

"Let me explain the procedure." Dr. Thompson began. "We will slowly reduce the I.V. over a thirty minute period. Once the I.V. has stopped, it usually takes _another_ thirty minutes before the patient is coherent enough to talk."

"So we can see him in an hour?" Sarah asked.

"In a perfect world." The Doctor answered. "_However_…what _usually_ happens is that the patient starts going into shock…which is perfectly normal in this procedure…if _that_ happens, we will re-increase the I.V. until he stabilizes, then wait thirty minutes before trying again."

"How will we know?" Abby asked.

"No news is good news." She said. "If I don't come out of that room for thirty minutes, plus about ten minutes for us to prepare him, then all is going well. If we are able to complete the procedure, I will call the desk and the nurse you see right over there (the nurse smiled and waved as everyone looked) will come over and tell you it was successful. If we have to stop, I will come out and let you know, myself."

"How many times will you attempt it?" Ducky asked

"If he goes into shock a third time, we will wait 24 hours before attempting again." She told them.

"Thank you, Doctor." Abby said.

"Thank you." Sarah repeated.

Dr. Thompson smiled as she went in to begin

Twenty minutes later, she came back out.

"He started going into shock." She said. "Again, I want to stress that it is perfectly normal…and nothing to worry about."

They thanked her as she went back in.

"Timothy? What is "shock"?" Sarah asked after a few minutes.

"Well…uh." Tim stuttered.

"Shock is when the body is so comfortable in its surroundings that it fights back when those surroundings are changed." Ducky answered.

"Soooo…Daddy doesn't _want_ to wake up?" She asked.

"That's not it at _all_." Ducky assured her. "Think of it as his body has grown so strong, it is able to detect what the Doctor is trying to do…which is a _good_ thing."

"Oh." Sarah said. "His body just needs to chill out so he can wake up."

Everybody smiled.

"The mind of a child is such a wonderful thing." Ducky observed.

Forty minutes later, the nurse walked over.

"They have completed the procedure; the Doctor will come out and let you know when you can see him."

"Thank you." Sarah said, smiling.

Watching Dr. Thompson come out, Abby was surprised by a momentary sense of Déjà vu.

"_Has it _really_ been ten days?"_ She thought.

She even had a fleeting moment of dread that Dr. Thompson was coming out to tell them that something had happened, and they hadn't been able to waken him.

Or even worse…that they had lost him.

The moment quickly faded, however, when she noticed a major difference in Dr. Thompson's appearance this time as opposed to ten days ago.

_This_ time, she was smiling.

They stood as she approached.

"Someone's Daddy is awake now." She said to Sarah. "And guess who he wants to see?"

"I want to see _him_, too." Sarah excitedly replied.

"Actually, we _wanted_ to get him cleaned up first." Dr. Thompson continued, looking at Abby. "But he is pretty insistent on seeing the two of you…Is he always this stubborn?" She asked, laughing.

"_Always."_ Abby laughed.

"The nurse will take you in. You'll have to wash up, but all you have to wear are masks."

"Thank you." Abby managed to say as Sarah pulled her towards the washroom.

"What happens now?" Vance asked as they disappeared through the doors.

"_Now_, we keep him here overnight for observation." She said. "If all goes well, we will release him to the 4th floor tomorrow morning, where he will spend the next few weeks, perhaps even a month, recovering and going through therapy. He has healed better than expected in the last ten days, so I don't foresee any problems."

"When can we talk to him?" Gibbs asked.

"After they come out, I will let Father Bailey in to see him…but please, keep it short, Father." She said.

"Of course." Father Bailey agreed.

"Then, _one_ of you can see him, but I must insist you not stay more than five minutes." She continued. "And please, don't ask him about the shooting, I want to minimize his stress tonight."

"Certainly, Doctor." Vance said, holding out his hand. "And thank you…for everything."

"I'll shake your hand," She laughed, "But, I can't take credit for anything. _Everybody_ on this floor refers to Matthew as our "Miracle Patient", and for good reason. Medically speaking, he should not have survived the first night. If you want to thank somebody, thank Father Bailey's Boss." She said, pointing upward.

When they walked in with their masks on, he looked at them and smiled weakly.

"Ahhh." He teased, his voice cracking. "Help! I'm being robbed."

"_Daddy_! It's _me_." Sarah laughed.

"I know, Sweetheart." He told her. "I hear you were pretty worried about me."

The first thing Abby noticed was the amount of weight he had lost.

"_Makes sense."_ She thought. _"He hasn't eaten in ten days."_

Even though it made sense, it still surprised her. Also, she didn't like how pale he was.

"_Stop it!"_ She scolded herself. _"Ten days ago, you were telling him goodbye when Father Bailey was performing Last Rites._ Stop analyzing his appearance and just be happy that he's not lying in a freezer in Ducky's morgue!_"_

When they got to his bed, he put his arm around Sarah and she hugged him as best as she could.

"I was scared." She said, sounding like she was about to cry.

"I'm sorry." He told her as he kissed the top of her head. "I will make it up to you."

"They told me you were going to die." She continued. "And that I should say goodbye."

"I'm feeling better now." He said as he hugged her tighter. "So you don't have to worry about that anymore."

"You promise?" She asked.

He was about to say "Cross my heart", then remembered the _rest_ of the saying.

"I promise." He smiled.

They just hugged each other, neither wanting to let go. After almost a minute went by, Sarah pulled back and looked at him.

"I stayed with Mommy while you were sleeping." She said, smiling.

He stared at Abby with a "what is she talking about?" expression.

Abby winked at him. "I'll explain later." She assured him.

He hesitantly smiled at her and mouthed "Thank you."

She kissed him through the mask.

"Don't mention it." She told him. "We mostly stayed out there." She said, indicating the waiting room.

"I'll make it up to _you_, too." He told her.

"You already have." She said. "Just by waking up."

The next morning, Gibbs visited him on his way to work (Vance had seen him the night before) and found him already moved to the 4th floor.

He found Abby and Sarah still there, having never left. He looked at Abby, who got the hint and took Sarah down to the cafeteria for breakfast.

In total, he stayed less than twenty minutes, then went to the cafeteria and had breakfast with Abby and Sarah.

Gibbs visited again on Saturday, just to see if anybody needed anything, and noticed the nun was gone.

"Father Bailey pulled the watch last night." Abby explained. "Although I enjoyed the company, I'm glad it's no longer needed."

She smiled.

"And besides," She continued, "I'd rather be talking to _him_." She squeezed Matthew's hand.

Gibbs just smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Gibbs arrived on Monday to find everyone already at their desk. He sat down and picked up a report, then paused and looked around.

"Conference." He announced, and everyone headed to the elevator.

When the emergency stop button was pushed, he looked around.

"You've all read the prelim report on the shooting…what are your concerns." He asked.

"One shooter, two different guns." Ziva said. "Typically, shooters only have _one_ gun, in the rare cases where they use _two_, the guns are usually the same make and model."

"How the _Hell_ did the shooter get the drop on two experienced Agents?" DiNozzo added. "After he had already shot _Nagen_, he was able put six rounds in Shuman without _him_ getting off even _one_." Although Gibbs had ordered him to view the scene with two shooters, other than the two guns, the evidence just wasn't there.

"Three victims at the scene." McGee said. "The informant was executed, they _tried_ to kill Shuman, but Nagen was left with only flesh wounds. Once Shuman had been taken out, it would have been a piece of cake to finish Nagen off."

Just then, Gibbs' cell phone rang.

The caller ID said "Vance."

When he arrived at his desk and checked his inbox, Vance noticed an email from Matthew Shuman's cell phone labeled "Please play when you are alone."

He played the attached recording, and called Gibbs to bring his entire team up to his office.

After everyone was seated, Vance threw Gibbs' report on the table.

"First of all," He began, "This meeting is strictly confidential until further notice. If anyone reveals it to _anybody_ outside this room, they will be immediately terminated."

"What's going on?" Gibbs asked.

"That is your preliminary report on the shooting." Vance said. "I'm sure you're aware that it is full of holes."

"I'm not happy with it." Gibbs shrugged. "But all we had was Nagen's testimony. Shuman doesn't remember anything, and we haven't found the shooter yet."

"I would like you to take it back and redo it." Vance told him.

"Based on what?" Gibbs asked.

"Let me play you an email that was waiting for me when I arrived this morning." Vance said.

He clicked on the recording.

"Director Vance…" Shuman began. "I have been debating about whether or not to send this message to you since Gibbs visited me on Thursday. He told me he was investigating the shooting and had some loose ends to tie up and wanted to know what I remember.

I told him I didn't remember anything.

I'm afraid I lied to him, Director."

Everyone looked at Gibbs, who only stared at the computer.

"I lied because I was not in a very trusting mood, and I'm _still_ not sure who I can trust. I hope you will understand _why_ when I tell you my story.

First off, I doubt very much that what I am about to say could be admissible in court. Some of it, I remember very clearly, and some of it only through a haze.

When Nagen and I arrived, our informant was already dead. We began a search of the yard, heard some movement, and I circled around to flank the guy.

I found a local gangbanger named Mitch, identified myself, and told him to drop his weapon. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nagen approaching from my right.

Director, I know you're not going to like what I'm about to say, but I will remember what happened next for the rest of my life.

Director…Nagen shot me."

Everyone in the room flinched, except for Vance…and Gibbs.

"I was stunned, but then my self-preservation instinct kicked in, and I turned my weapon to shoot back, but then Mitch shot me, and I went down.

The next thing I remember, Nagen was standing over me, pointing his gun at me, and I asked him "Why?".

"Why does anybody do anything?" He told me. "For the money."

Then he shot me in the chest.

The _next_ thing I remember, Ziva was leaning over me, and I remember trying to talk to her, but that has no relevance to this story.

I hope you can understand the mood I was in…and am _still_ in…Director…but I _will_ trust your judgment. If you decide to play this to Gibbs, I will answer any further questions he might have."

Vance stopped the recording.

Everyone look at Gibbs, who took a moment to consider what he had just heard.

"It fits with all the ballistic evidence." He finally said.

"Two guns, two shooters." Ziva said. "Nagen must have used a disposable."

"Explains why Shuman never got off a shot." DiNozzo added.

"_And_ it explains why Nagen only received flesh wounds while the other two were either killed or close to it." McGee said. "They were simply for appearance."

"_Oh my God."_ Ziva said. "He tried to tell me Nagen shot him, but I thought he meant Nagen _was_ shot. How could I have been so _stupid_?"

"There was no way you could have anticipated this." Gibbs reassured her.

"Why do I get the feeling that _you_ are not surprised by this?" Vance asked.

"I knew Nagen was lying." Gibbs shrugged. "And I knew Shuman was holding back. But I didn't expect _this_."

"So, you're gonna run with it?" Vance asked.

"I have to." Gibbs told him.

"Keep me updated." Vance ordered.

"McGee." Gibbs said.

"I will track down Nagen's finances for the past year." McGee said.

"Ziva, DiNozzo."

"Find Mitch." They both said.

"First things first." Gibbs said, reaching for his cell phone. "Go to Shuman's hospital room and wait until you are relieved."

He pressed a speed dial button, and waited for the party to answer.

"I'm calling in a favor, Fornell." He said. "A big one. It will repay yours and I will owe _you_ two."

They heard a muffled voice.

"I need a 2 man detail on Matthew Shuman's hospital room…Sisters of Mercy, room 427…around the clock until further notice."

Everyone just stared at him.

"I _said_ it was big." Gibbs laughed. "Can you do it?...Thanks, tell them that the _only_ people allowed in, other than hospital staff, are his daughter Sarah, Abby, Father Bailey his Priest, myself and anybody with me, and Director Vance and anybody with him. If _anybody_ else tries to get in, they are authorized to use force to stop them…I will when it's over…Right, _two_ favors."

"Boss, do you really think Nagen will try anything at the hospital?" McGee asked after Gibbs had hung up.

"The son of a bitch tried to kill one of his own men…you better _believe_ he'll try to finish the job." Gibbs said. "What are you all waiting for? An engraved invitation?"

They all rushed out of the office.

"Don't be too hard on him for lying to you." Vance requested.

"He had _already_ been betrayed by someone in my position." Gibbs replied. "I probably would have done the same thing."

"I guess I should call the Hospital Director and let him know about the detail." Vance said.

"That's why you're sitting in that chair. Make sure they give the F.B.I. a list of staffers who need access to Shuman." Gibbs said as he walked out and closed the door.

Matthew looked over and saw Ziva and DiNozzo enter.

"I guess Vance played you the email." He said.

"He did." Ziva answered.

"I'm gonna go talk to the Head Nurse…let her know what's going on." DiNozzo said. "And hopefully get a phone number."

When they were alone, Ziva turned to him.

"How do you feel?" She asked him.

"A lot better than the _last_ time we talked." He laughed. "And I understand that I have _you_ to thank for even being here."

"I was only one link in a long chain." She shrugged.

"Even so…thank you." He said.

She smiled.

"Do you remember what you told me?" She asked.

"I remember what I was _wanting_ to say." He replied. "Whether or not I was _able_ to say it…I don't know."

"You gave me two messages…one for Sarah, and one for Abby." She told him.

He just looked at her.

"Have you told them yet?" She asked.

"Not yet." He said, looking towards the window.

"You should." She said, grabbing his hand. "And if you haven't had a long talk with Abby by now, you should do _that_, too, because a _lot_ has happened concerning Sarah in the last two weeks. In case you haven't noticed, Abby cares a lot about _both_ of you."

DiNozzo walked in folding a piece of paper, and she let go of his hand.

"There will be two F.B.I. Agents outside your door until we resolve this." She said.

"Do you really think that's necessary?" He asked.

"Gibbs does." DiNozzo replied. "We're staying here until they show up…then we're gonna find Mitch."

"Where is he hung?" Ziva asked.

Matthew just looked at her.

"She…sometimes has trouble with American slang." DiNozzo said. "Where can we find him?"

"He's a member of the "Sharks"…their territory is near the docks." Matthew said. "A minor gang in the grand scheme of things, but they can be _extremely_ violent. The D.C. gang unit will have all the specifics you need."

"Excuse me. I'm gonna have to ask the two of you to leave."

They turned to see an F.B.I. Agent at the doorway.

"We were just waiting here until you showed up." Tony smiled as he walked out.

"Remember what I said." Ziva told Matthew as she turned to leave.

When they left, Matthew turned back to the window and considered everything that had happened…and everything that Abby had _told_ him had happened.

His…memory (for lack of a better word), had been of looking up at Ziva and having everything blur into a bright light. Then a shadow moved in front of the light, then _another_ light started moving around in circles.

The shadow slowly came into focus as a set of eyes (it took several minutes for him to contemplate that it was someone in complete medical garb, and the moving light was a penlight that the person was shining in his eyes).

From a distance, he heard voices, then a voice much closer. It took a few seconds before he realized that the person holding the light was talking to him.

"Canyouhearme_?"_ The voice was saying. "Matthewcanyouhearme?"

Although the words ran together, they seemed to be played in slow motion. Even if he had known what they were saying, he didn't know how to respond.

He didn't know how to speak or move his arms or even breathe.

He could only stare at the moving light.

As far as he was concerned, the light and the eyes were the only things that existed.

"Matthew?"

He clearly heard the word…and it _seemed_ to sound familiar…but he didn't know what it meant.

"How's he looking?" The eyes asked.

"All vitals are approaching normal, Doctor."

How did the eyes do that? Where was the second voice coming from?

Again, he knew the words should mean something; in fact, their meaning was right on the edge of his thoughts.

The eyes looked off to the side, perhaps in the direction that the other voice was coming from, but he couldn't be sure, then back at him.

They grew bigger as the person leaned closer.

"Daddy? Sarah has been waiting for you."

Sarah.

He knew _that_ word.

That was a word he would _always_ recognize.

"Sarah?" He rasped. Damn, it hurt to speak.

The eyes moved up and down.

"That's right." They said. "Both Sarah and Abby are wanting to see you."

"Abby?" His throat felt like sandpaper. He looked around, but it didn't do much good…although he _thought_ he saw another set of eyes (perhaps the source of the second voice), anything beyond about two feet was a complete blur. "Where am I?"

"You are in a hospital…you were shot, but you are going to be alright."

Hospital? Shot?

Yes, he remembered getting shot.

Remembered Nagen.

Remembered Ziva.

Everything seemed to snap into focus. At least, mentally.

He still had a hard time focusing his _eyes_.

Speaking of eyes.

He looked back at the eyes that had told him of Sarah and Abby.

"Who are you?" He asked them.

"I'm Doctor Megan Thompson." They told him, and although he would never be able to explain _how_, the eyes appeared to be smiling. "Welcome back."

While the nurses had started to clean him up, he had asked for water and listened while Dr. Thompson briefly explained what had happened.

When she told him that he had been in a coma for ten days, he insisted on seeing Sarah and Abby.

"Soon." Dr. Thompson had said.

"Now." He told her.

She looked at him and nodded.

He smiled. He had replayed that scene again and again, and it was different each time. Like one of those movies that told the same story from several different viewpoints…except, in this case, each viewpoint was his.

The thought made him laugh.

While each viewpoint was his, they _also_ belonged to another person entirely.

That other person was high on…whatever drugs the hospital had put into him to keep him alive for ten days…and pain free once he woke up.

The next day, he and Abby had the long talk Ziva had suggested, but didn't know had already taken place.

Not for the first time since that talk (the nun had taken Sarah to eat so they could be alone), he reflected that there was a good deal more to his daughter than he had realized…and it upset him.

"Don't beat yourself up _too_ much." Abby had told him. "She is a girl, and, sometimes, a girl just wants to talk to another girl."

That may very well be the case…but _still_. He had had no idea of the turmoil his daughter had been going through. And he _should_ have.

With a start, he realized that he had been doing his daughter an injustice by not remarrying (actually, although he _had_ dated since the accident, Abby had been the only girl who had shown a _genuine_ interest in Sarah…and for _that_, he would be eternally grateful to her), but, in all fairness, he hadn't wanted to.

No, that wasn't quite correct…despite six years having passed since the loss of his wife, he had never recovered enough to even consider it.

And then Abby came along.

Although he had known her for a couple of years (but not since the accident, he had been stationed in California when his wife had been killed), they had never discussed their personal lives and, looking back on it, he had been quite surprised when she had approached his desk, asking if she could go to lunch with them.

He would lay awake sometimes and look at her, wondering if, had it not been for Sarah, they would have gotten together.

Probably not.

However, that did not change the fact that they _were_ together right now…and he hoped they would remain so for a long time.

He smiled.

If Sarah wanted to call her "Mommy", he could accept that.

In the end, though, he didn't _really_ have a say in the matter.

He laughed.

"What you got, McGee?" Gibbs demanded.

"Boss…Nagen has several offshore accounts, with a combined total of just over $300,000." McGee told him.

"How long has he had them?" Gibbs asked.

"The first one was opened almost five years ago," McGee said, "with sporadic deposits and withdrawals since that time. The last deposit was in the amount of $32,000…two days after the shooting."

"Good work." Gibbs said.

"Boss…I hope you don't mind my asking, but why haven't we picked Nagen up yet."

Gibbs looked at him.

"Because you know what you're doing." McGee said, turning back to his computer monitor after an uncomfortable silence.

"_Because,"_ Gibbs began, "Shuman and I have something in common right now…we don't know who to trust. I want Mitch in custody before I make a move on Nagen."

"In case Nagen has other partners here who would see Mitch as a liability if Nagen were arrested." McGee said.

Gibbs looked up to see Ziva and DiNozzo get off the elevator with a young man in handcuffs. He reflected that the man looked _nothing_ like the description Nagen had given.

"_Another nail."_ He thought.

"Which is also why you turned to Fornell for the protection detail." McGee observed.

"That's right." Gibbs answered.

DiNozzo led the person to the interrogation room while Ziva broke off to walk over to Gibbs.

"Mitch?" He asked.

She nodded.

Gibbs looked across the table at Mitch, who hadn't asked for a lawyer.

Everyone else, including Director Vance, was behind the mirror.

"I have you for one murder, and two attempted murders of Federal Agents." He began. "You'll be lucky to get out of prison before you turn 120."

"You got no evidence on me." Mitch said.

He was correct, they hadn't found the guns used.

"I have the testimony of the two Agents you shot." He bluffed. "They both named _you_ as the shooter. Now, who do you think a jury will believe?"

Mitch became agitated.

"Nagen is fingering _me_?" He asked.

"That's right." Gibbs nodded.

"That's _crap_." Mitch nearly screamed. "I wasn't gonna shoot that cop…_Nagen_ shot him first, then made _me_ shoot him."

Gibbs stared at him…he had just confirmed Shuman's story.

"Do tell." He said.

Although his story was spun to make him appear to be a victim, every major part matched what Shuman had told.

Mitch even told them were they could find the guns…one of which had Nagen's fingerprints on it.

"Who shot Nagen?" Gibbs asked.

"He held a gun on me and told me where to shoot him." Mitch answered.

"Why shoot Shuman at all?" Gibbs wanted to know. "If you and Nagen were partners, you could have been taken into custody, and he could have fudged the evidence against you. Why take the risk?"

"Because." Mitch told him. "We had a _major_ operation going down the next day. Nagen's cut was 40G...but if I had been arrested, the buyers would have backed out."

"Anybody else?" Gibbs asked.

Mitch didn't understand.

"Do you have any other contacts at N.C.I.S.?" Gibbs clarified.

"No man." Mitch shook his head. "Nagen was the only one I ever talked to, and I never got the feeling _he_ was working with anyone else."

Gibbs gathered up his paperwork and stood.

"You should probably call a lawyer." He said as he walked out.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Gibbs looked at Fornell and laughed.

"I get the _Boss_ here?" He asked.

"We're stretched kinda thin right now." Fornell laughed. "But for two favors, I'll have the Director himself pulling shift."

"I'm hoping that won't be necessary." Gibbs said. "Has Nagen been here?"

"Haven't seen him." Fornell replied. "Why?"

"If he _does_ show up, arrest him." Gibbs told him. "And consider him armed and dangerous."

"You gonna tell me what's going on?" Fornell asked.

"Like I said…when it's over." Gibbs promised. "Which will hopefully be today."

Fornell just nodded.

They passed Abby and Sarah, who were going up as they were coming down.

While Gibbs talked with Abby, Sarah smiled and waved at McGee, who smiled and waved back.

They were in the parking lot headed towards their car when McGee stopped.

"Boss. That's Nagen's car." He said, pointing at a green Neon.

"You sure?" Gibbs asked.

"I put out a BOLO on those plates." McGee said.

They turned and went back inside.

They got off the elevator to a scene of total chaos.

Nagen was standing at the door to Matthew's room, holding Sarah at gunpoint while Fornell and his Agent held _him_ at gunpoint. Abby was standing about ten feet from Nagen and at least one woman was crying.

They all drew their guns.

Nagen took a step backward, trying to get inside the room.

"Take one more step," Fornell warned, "and you die."

"Just remember." Nagen responded. "If I get shot, _she_ dies before I do." He tightened his grip on Sarah.

"It's six to one, Nagen." Gibbs said. "Let her go."

"The odds may be six to one," Nagen replied, "But _I'm_ holding an Ace and Queen." He moved his right hand slightly to draw everyone's attention to the gun. "All in."

Gibbs looked over at the Nurse's Station as a series of alarms went off behind the desk. The nurse looked down at them, then at Matthew's room, then at Gibbs.

Gibbs shook his head and told her to turn them off.

"You may be holding an Ace and Queen." Gibbs said as he holstered his gun. "But when the _King_ is revealed, _I_ have a Royal Flush."

Nagen had no clue what Gibbs was talking about…until Matthew wrapped his left arm around Nagen's neck while simultaneously grabbing his right wrist and bringing the back of his elbow down so hard on his raised knee that it would be years of therapy before Nagen would be able to hold a coffee cup again, much less a gun.

Most of those present flinched at the sound of breaking bone.

Once the gun had been dropped, Matthew brought his right arm up and reinforced his choke hold while Abby grabbed Sarah and pulled her to the side.

Ziva holstered her gun as she approached and grabbed Matthew's arm.

"Let him _go_, Matthew." She ordered.

If he heard her, he paid no attention. Instead, he tightened his grip as Nagen dropped to one knee and started turning blue.

"_Matthew!"_ Ziva yelled.

"Daddy?" Gibbs said softly.

Matthew looked up.

"Do you _really_ want Sarah to see you kill a man?" Gibbs asked.

Matthew looked at Sarah and Abby, then back at Gibbs, and released the choke hold.

Nagen gasped as he inhaled air. Ziva grabbed him and shoved him towards DiNozzo and McGee, who proceeded to handcuff him without regard to his broken arm.

Sarah ran over and hugged her father.

"Daddy? Are you OK?" She asked.

Ziva turned and watched Matthew go pale and begin to fall backwards.

"_We need a Doctor over here!"_ She yelled as she caught his fall and eased him to the floor.

A nurse was the first one to arrive. He raised Matthew's shirt to check for ruptured stitches.

"Can you help me get him back in his bed?" He asked Ziva.

"Yes." Ziva replied, and they half dragged, half carried him and lifted him onto the bed as the Doctor ran in.

"His pulse is racing, Doctor." The nurse said after grabbing Matthew's wrist.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to wait outside, Miss Sciuto." The Doctor told Abby, who took Sarah out to the waiting room.

"Give him 4cc's of diazepam." Abby heard the Doctor say as the door was shut behind them.

"Boss? How did you know?" McGee asked.

"The alarms for his room were going off." Gibbs explained. "The odds were good that it was him disconnecting everything so he could get up."

"And _you_." Ziva said, looking at Sarah. "You were so brave…you didn't even _look_ scared."

"I wasn't." Sarah told her.

Everybody just looked at her.

"I knew my Daddy was behind us, and he would save me." She said.

They all smiled.

Abby saw DiNozzo leading Nagen away and took a few steps toward them…until Gibbs stepped in front of her.

"Like I asked Shuman, do you _really_ want to do it in front of Sarah?" He asked.

She stared at Gibbs, then went to Sarah and hugged her.

After a few minutes, Matthew was wheeled out to the elevator as the Doctor came out to talk with Abby.

"I'm not taking any chances." He said. "I am having him x-rayed to verify he didn't rupture any stitches and cause internal bleeding. But I believe that, after two weeks on a liquid diet, he simply over-exerted himself."

Abby sighed with relief.

"When he gets back, I will give you ten minutes to say goodnight, then I will be giving him a sedative that will put him out for the rest of the day, and I must insist that he has no visitors until tomorrow."

"Certainly." Abby nodded.

"And I want you all to promise me something." He looked around at everyone. "Promise me he won't have to wrestle any more armed assailants…at least until _after_ we discharge him."

They all laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"I'm gonna offer him Nagen's Team Leader position." Vance said.

"I think he would do a great job." Gibbs said.

"But you don't think he will accept." Vance said…it wasn't a question.

It was two weeks after Nagen had been caught, and they were waiting for the elevator to take them to the 4th floor.

"I think he will submit his resignation." Gibbs answered.

"Over a promotion offer?" Vance was confused.

"No." Gibbs laughed. "Over this whole incident. I saw the look in his eyes when he released Nagen…He suddenly realized that he had been about to kill someone in front of his daughter, and it scared him."

"Not to mention the fact that his job is what put his daughter in danger to begin with." Vance observed.

"That too." Gibbs said.

"Why did you, of all people, stop him?"

Gibbs considered this for a moment.

"Because, if I had been in his shoes, I would have killed him." He answered. "And I would have been grateful, after the fact, to anyone that had intervened and stopped me."

"What would you have done if he hadn't released the choke hold?" Vance asked.

Gibbs just looked at him.

The elevator arrived.

"He and Abby are pretty close." Vance said. "Are you worried that he will take her with him?"

"She's one of two wild cards." Gibbs laughed. "He _knows_ she won't leave, which just might make _him_ stay."

"What's the other wild card?" Vance asked.

"His money." Gibbs said. "You know he's rich."

"The settlement from the accident." Vance nodded. "I've actually been wondering why someone with several million dollars would stay with N.C.I.S."

"Money isn't a cure-all." Gibbs observed. "The mind has to stay busy in situations like that, or else it can go crazy. He stayed with what he knew."

"Like you letting Abby stay at work a few days after the shooting." Vance said.

"Exactly."

The elevator opened at the 4th floor.

"Good morning, Agent Shuman." Director Vance said as they entered his room. He was out of bed, sitting at the window.

"Director…Agent Gibbs." Matthew greeted, Vance waved him back down when he started to get up.

Gibbs nodded at him.

"I hear you should get released soon." Vance said.

"The Doctor says Thursday." Matthew smiled. "If all goes well."

"What are your plans?"

"I'd like to take two weeks off." Matthew told him.

"I think that can be arranged." Vance said.

"And if she isn't busy," Matthew continued, "I'd like Abby to have next week off."

Vance looked at Gibbs.

"I think we can manage." Gibbs said. "Does _she_ know?"

Matthew shook his head.

"And please, don't tell her." He requested. "I want to surprise her."

They smiled.

"Listen," Vance began, "I'd like you to think about something while you're on vacation. We just had a Team Leader position suddenly open…and I'd like _you_ to fill it."

Matthew stared out the window while Vance glanced at Gibbs. He found himself doing it a lot, it been his only view of the outside world for the last month.

"Thank you for the offer, Director." Matthew said, turning back. "But I'm not sure I'm ready to be in a leadership position."

"Why do you say that?" Vance asked.

"Because…had I been in Gibbs' shoes…" He replied, "I can't honestly say I would have done anything to stop Nagen's death."

Thursday afternoon, the elevator opened and they walked out into the familiar offices of N.C.I.S.

Everyone started cheering; there was a "Welcome Back" banner on the wall and a cake on his desk.

"Did you know about this?" He asked Abby.

She just smiled and kissed him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." Vance began. "We are grateful to welcome back one of our own after a particularly harrowing month…don't ever do it again, Agent Shuman." He smiled.

Everyone applauded.

"Speech." DiNozzo said and everyone joined in.

"Wow." He said. "Where do I begin?"

He looked at Abby and Sarah, who smiled at him.

"Most of that day is a blank." He began. "About the only part I remember is the incident itself, nothing before…nothing after." He laughed and everyone smiled.

"Of the things I _do_ remember, what sticks out the most is lying there, certain I was dying, and seeing Ziva kneel over me."

He held eye contact with Ziva.

"I remember giving her two messages…one for Sarah, and one for Abby…but she told me she wouldn't deliver them…she said I would have to tell them myself…she had more faith in my future than I did."

He turned to Sarah.

"Sarah…I am so proud of you." He said. "You have faced things that no child should _ever_ have to endure, and you have never lost the compassion in your heart that makes us human. Every day I see you overcome the limitations you were given and I think, "Where does she find the courage to do that?""

He had to choke back tears.

"It has been a privilege to watch you grow into the beautiful young woman that you have become…and a true honor to be your father…I love you."

She hugged him. "I love you, too. Daddy." She said.

"Abby." He continued. "The day you walked up to this desk and asked if you could go to lunch with us, I thought, "What's going on?""

He grabbed her hand.

"Three months later, while I was lying on the ground, I realized that I love you…and I was terrified that I would never get the chance to tell you. Because you are so wonderful, you do not even realize that very few people would have done what you did."

He looked at Sarah, then back at Abby.

"And I can never repay you for the happiness that you have brought into _both_ of our lives…but, for as long as you will let me, I promise you that I will show you just how grateful I truly am."

She smiled and kissed him.

"I love you, too." She whispered.

"And all of you." He said, looking at those gathered around them. "There is an old saying, "A friend in need is a friend indeed."…well for the last month, I have _really_ been in need."

He had to pause and choke back tears.

"I need to finish this before I start crying." He said.

Everyone laughed as he shook his head.

"Don't read anything into it…it's all the meds they have me on."

They laughed harder.

"During that time, _all_ of you have shown me what true friendship _really_ is. And there is no way I can ever repay you for it, except to say, thank you."

They started applauding, but he interrupted them.

"I have one more thing, and then we can eat this delicious looking substance that I can't quite remember the name of, but I vaguely remember seeing it a long time ago."

He nodded to Sarah, who reached into her purse (a miniature version of the one Abby carried) as he turned to Abby.

"Abby, I told you I will show you how grateful I am…and I'd like to begin this Saturday, at 3:40 p.m., at the domestic departure gates."

Abby gave him a confused look as Sarah got her attention and gave her an envelope.

When Abby opened it, her eyes went wide and began filling with tears.

"_Hawaii!_" She screamed. "No _way_!"

She threw her arms around him and kissed him as everyone cheered.


	8. Chapter 8

Epilogue:

Ducky was walking with Gibbs.

"These events are always painful." He said. "Even more so under the present circumstances. If I could have two wishes fulfilled, they would be that the words "Children's" and "Ward" would never again appear on a sign together; and that children would _always_ outlive their parents."

"You have to be careful with that second one." Gibbs observed. "It _almost_ came true."

"It did, at that." Ducky realized. "I guess there is a reason why _I_ am not in control of destiny."

They stood in front of Abby and Matthew.

"Again, you have my deepest sympathies, son." Ducky said as he shook hands with Matthew. "Despite her injuries, she was one of the most mature people I have ever met."

"Thank you, Ducky." Matthew said. "She once told me she considered you a grandfather. Thank you for being so kind to her."

"She was a true gift from above." Ducky said. "And it was _I_ who benefitted from _her_ presence. She was a ray of sunshine in this storm filled world which, sadly, has just become all the _more_ darker."

Matthew smiled as they took their seats.

"Today, we are filled with grief." Father Bailey began. "Grief over the loss of a member of our flock."

It was a graveside service. Father Bailey would later remark that it was one of the largest he had ever seen.

"Sarah Miracle Shuman was loved by all who knew her…and she had the rare ability to make others want to go out of their way _to_ know her. While we mourn that she was taken from us far too soon, we are comforted by knowing that she is in a better place."

Looking around, Abby saw all of N.C.I.S. there, as well as the staff at St. Mary's, and even Dr. Thompson and several members of the hospital staff. For every person she could identify, there were easily ten she couldn't.

When Father Bailey was finished, he asked Matthew if he wanted to say a few words.

Matthew stood and walked up to her, and had to take a moment to compose himself.

He placed his hand on her coffin.

"Sarah Miracle Shuman." He began. "15 years ago, your mother was told she would never have children…but she refused to accept it. One day, I came home from work and she grabbed my hand and placed it on her stomach.

"The Lord has granted us our miracle." She told me.

And we decided that that's what we would name you."

He wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I wanted to name you "Divine Miracle", but she wanted "Sarah", to remind us of Abraham's wife, who was convinced she couldn't conceive…until God showed her that…He doesn't care about a Doctor's verdict, or the condition of our body. If He wants to bless us with a child, He will do so.

I'm glad we went with _her_ idea."

Despite the situation, most of those present chuckled.

"From the second you were born, you had me wrapped around your finger, and you never let me go. I found myself wanting to stay awake, just so I wouldn't miss the next thing you did.

I cried with you when your first tooth came in. I cried the first time you hugged me and the first time you called me "Daddy". But I also laughed when you were learning to walk and hold a cup and eat on your own. Every day was a new blessing, and I didn't want them to stop."

He had to pause a moment.

"After the accident, when I didn't think I could go on, it was _you_ who gave _me_ the strength to continue. While trying to overcome _your_ broken body, you also had to help _me_ overcome my broken mind. And you never complained; you just kept doing things that the Doctor had said you would never do again. Yet again, you lived up to your name."

Again, he had to pause and compose himself, and Abby walked up to him and put her arm around his waist and her head on his shoulder; he grabbed her hand.

"There are those who believe that there is a place where unborn children choose which family they want to go to; if that is the case, I thank you for choosing _me_ to be your Daddy. And I know it would be selfish to stand here and say that…I would do anything if I could trade places with you right now, as much as I would like to, because I know that, right now, you are running through the streets of Heaven, your mind and body restored, and I would _never_ want to take that from you.

But know this, when I finally make it there, I want you to be waiting for me at those Pearly Gates, and we will go running together. Until then, run around as much as you want to, Sweetheart…you deserve it.

Goodbye, my Beautiful Princess."


End file.
